Fixing Broken Bones
by captaineko
Summary: One tribe of winged cats divided bore three clans. The Clan of the Daring Dove filled with brave and kind cats. The Clan of the Singing Sparrow with devious tricksters, and the Clan of the Running Rail home to all flightless cats. They are headed to ruin, yet there are three who can save them. Only those broken can fix the clans.
1. Prologue

Jagged Step's claws drew viciously into the crisp exterior of a fallen leaf. Its flesh tore away in a ragged pattern adding to a collage of wounds. Placing a paw upon the tree spawn, she retracted her claws and stepped away from the massacre. The white cat looked at the leaf with contempt and let her black tipped wings fall loosely at her side.

"Again," her ears were instantly assaulted with the command. The queen spun in a quick motion and returned to the side of another cat. The dark red tomcat sat idly cleaning his white wing while keeping an amber eye watching the white cat's movements.

"Yes Dusted Rail," Jagged Step recited as she fell into a crouch. Her wings were drawn tight against a pelt of rough fur and her black tipped tail lay motionless as she crept forward. Her eyes settled on her target and in a flash of white and black her claws sunk back into the stray red leaf.

Not a moment later, a deep sound reached her ears.

"Again."

What was once a soft sweet voice now sent shivers down Ash Lift's spine. She was assaulted by a harsh wind as a powerful grip on her scruff dragged her upwards. Her grey feet yearned for a stable grip as they danced in the merciless air.

Within the deafening roar, surrounding her, she could make out the two distinct flaps of her mother and sister's wings, but she couldn't locate the steady beat of her brothers wings.

"It's been six moons and you still can't do it right," her mother's voice began with a familiar sharp edge which was quickly softened by an unnatural tone, "Ash dear, I believe in you okay?"

"Okay moth-" Ash Lift's words were silenced by a terrified screech as she fell. Wind pushed passed her as she was dragged to the ground. She stretched out a pair of wide grey wings and started frantically flapping. Her wings drew outward reaching to grab a foothold in an empty sky. The grey queen trembled, her mind recounting faint memories of the only sights she had known. Indulging in her hysteria she tuned out the familiar noise of strong wings breaking through the sky.

Only when she noticed a distinct lack of unbearable pain did Ash Lift feel a firm grasp upon her scruff and the familiar warmth of soft grass beneath her paws. While she was embracing the land beneath her paws her mother had landed on the ground beside her. The large cat gave a tired sigh before speaking once more.

 _Again_

Fox didn't much care that he was unable to hear the word, it was as firm in his mind as his grip upon the branch he was perched on. He saw nothing, he heard nothing. Only a soft breeze carrying a hint of pine and honey had his attention. He imagined the scents gliding from lands far away. Mystical places unknown to him or the rest of Sparrow Clan. He thought that perhaps he could go travel one day, but then his mind wandered to the soft embrace of his mother's fur; for now his travels will wait.

Awaking from his thoughts, Fox opened his eyes. His view wandered from the tall pines decorating the area to his claws which still lay in the marks he had set them in.

 _Good,_ once again he spoke. He couldn't remember how it sounded but it seemed likely to him that his voice was a soft sweet gale on a gentle dawn.

Satisfied with one last glance at his feet, Fox closed his eyes again and let his senses overwhelm him. The wind tickled his face as it drew past, enticing him to follow it. It sweetness tempted him towards a never ending chase, but that adventure was for another day. Today, he flexed his wings, the short appendages eager for action, and let himself fall forward.

 **Allegiances**

 _THE CLAN OF THE RUNNING RAIL_

Rail Clan

 **Leader:** DUSTED RAIL _dirty red furred tom with a white stomach, a single white wing and dark amber eyes_

 **Second:** RUSTED SUN _vibrant orange tom with shredded red wings and grey eyes_

 **Healer:** SMALL _short and slender black queen with deep garden green eyes and no wings_

 **Apprentice:** FROST SEEKER _pure white queen with yellow eyes_

 **Warriors:**

FLY FOOT _queen with black and white fur and sharp jagged wings and green eyes (Apprentice: Rock)_

SMOKED TOOTH _black and grey tom with jagged wings and yellow eyes_

 _SPIDER FLIGHT black queen with a white ear, no wings and grey eyes_

 _(Apprentice: Little)_

 _SOFT TOUCH soft grey furred queen with white ear tips and one wing_

 _SPIKED HONEY orange queen with white paws and two bent wings_

 _(Apprentice: Jagged)_

CROW FLIGHT _black tom with green eyes and grey fur highlights and crippled wings (Apprentice: Twisted)_

TORN FLOWER _a black mitted queen with two ripped wings_

RAGGED TALON _a grey tom with messy fur, odd angled wings and mismatched blue and green eyes_

HEAVY FUR _a cream tabby tom with small wings and golden eyes_

RUBBLE FUR _marble grey and white tom with amber eyes and one wing_

BURNT FUR _dark, almost black, brown furred tom with eerie yellow eyes and one wing_

 **Apprentices:**

JAGGED STEP _white queen with black fur covering her stomach; tail tip; her ears and her left eye, light amber eyes and black tipped white wings both with a large gash in the middle_

LITTLE STEP _bulky black tom with light grey eyes and no wings_

RUSTY STEP _slim orange queen with dark grey eyes and half developed wings_

ROCK STEP _calico queen with green eyes and rough bumps on her back_

TWISTED STEP _short pointed grey and white queen with a pair of bent wings and blue eyes_

 **Carriers and Kits:**

SNOW LEG _white queen with black paws, ghostly light blue eyes, small underdeveloped black wings and a scar across her useless left eye (Expecting Dusted Rail's kits)_

LIZARD FOOT _calico queen with yellow eyes and one underdeveloped wing (Nursing Smoke Tooth's kit's:_ ROUGH _a grey tom with rough bumps on his back and_ SHARP _a black queen with short jagged decorative wings, adopted:_ DARK _black tom with green eyes, a tuft of ginger fur on his chest and no wings)_

 **Elders:**

GREY EYE _grey tom with a white under belly, green eyes, small bumps in place if his wings and one blinded eye_

HALF HEART _orange-red tabby queen with one amber, one green eye and one wing_

 _THE CLAN OF THE DIVING DOVE_

Dove Clan

 **Leader:** BLACK DOVE _elderly black tom with a white chest and golden eyes_

 **Second:** SKY WIND _grey and white queen with crystal blue eyes_

 **Healer:** WHITE _white tom with green eyes_

 **Apprentice:** FEATHER SEEKER _light grey queen with bright blue eyes_

 **Warriors:**

HOLLY HEART _black queen with white back paws and deep green eyes (Apprentice: Ivy)_

NEWT HEART _tortoiseshell queen with light green eyes (Apprentice: Leopard)_

LION STONE _orange tom with a white chin, a white tail tip and copper eyes (Apprentice: Scorch)_

SAND FUR _pale orange queen with dark green eyes_

MUD FEATHER _tom with light brown marble fur which fades into caramel wings and copper eyes_

SWALLOW FOOT _brown tabby tom with white patches and olive green eyes_

POINTED WING _all brown tom with yellow eyes (Apprentice: Ferret)_

BARK FANG _tabby tom with a white stomach and copper eyes_

STONE FEATHER _grey-blue tabby tom with blue eyes (Apprentice: Ash)_

STORM FLIGHT _dark grey tom with yellow eyes (Apprentice: Grey)_

DAWN FUR _red tabby queen with green eyes_

MORNING CLAW _cream furred queen with pale green eyes_

 **Apprentices:**

ASH LIFT flu _ffy and stocky grey queen with soft broad wings, and jagged scar across her grey eyes._

GREY LIFT _soft white tom with deep grey eyes_

SCORCH LIFT _black tom with white paws, blue eyes and black wings which fade to white_

LEOPARD LIFT _blue-grey tabby tom with blue eyes_

FERRET LIFT _light brown queen with green eyes_

IVY LIFT _tabby queen with green eyes_

BRACKEN LIFT _reddish-brown tabby tom with green eyes_

 **Carriers and Kits:**

ASHEN SPECK _queen with light grey fur and wings with flecks of black and yellow eyes (Nursing Stone Feather's kits: BLUE tom with dark blue grey fur and wings with blue eyes MINT queen with light grey fur and wings with hints of white and blue eyes PEBBLE light grey queen with blue eyes SMOKE dark grey tom with blue eyes FLINT grey tabby tom with some white and yellow-green eyes )_

 **Elders:**

BRIAR BLAZE _tabby queen with yellow eyes_

CLOVER SHADE _grey and white tom with grassy green eyes_

CHERRY FANG _dappled tabby queen with copper eyes_

GOLDEN BRANCH _golden queen with green eyes_

 _THE CLAN OF THE SINGING SPARROW_

Sparrow Clan

 **Leader:** HONEY SPARROW _light orange tabby tom with bright green eyes_

 **Second:** HAZEL FROST _red and white tabby tom with amber eyes (Apprentice:_ _Black_ )

 **Healer:** YARROW _white tom with green eyes_

 **Apprentice:** NIGHT SEEKER _black queen with a white stripe on her back and brown eyes_

 **Warriors:**

CRIMSON CLAW _white tom with splotches of varying red and dark golden eyes (Apprentice: Cloud)_

RABBIT NIGHT _light grey and white tabby tom with green eyes (Apprentice: Flecked)_

REFLECTED LIGHT _spotted grey tabby tom with yellow-green eyes_

FIRE TWIST _ginger tom with bright amber eyes (Apprentice: Fluffy)_

TIGER FLIGHT _tabby queen with blue eyes_

PATCH COAT _white queen with black patches and yellow eyes_

SOLID STRIPE _white tom with green eyes_

SPIDER SPECK _black tuxedo furred queen with yellow eyes_

SNOW SPARK _white and black splotched tom with blue eye_ s

DUSK HAWK _a snowshoe tom with mostly dark brown fur and pale blue eyes_

 _(Apprentice: Rain)_

SEED WISH _a black queen with white wings and blue eyes_

 **Apprentices:**

FLECKED CALL _grey tom with hints of white, ivy green eyes and grey flecked wings_

RAIN CALL _light grey tabby tom with blue eyes_

FLUFFY CALL _all black queen with fluffy fur and yellow eyes_

BLACK CALL _tom with white and black splotched fur and copper eyes_

CLOUD CALL _white tom with orange ears and blue eyes_

 **Carriers and Kits:**

FENNEL DREAM _orange-white tabby queen with yellow-green eyes (Nursing Reflected Light's kits_ : LEAF _tortoiseshell tom with amber eyes and black wings_ PETAL _white queen with brown splotches, brown wings, amber eyes and a tail with a slight kink)_

HAIL SHINE _snow white queen with light blue eyes (Nursing Fire Twist's kits:_ FOX _silky orange-reddish short slender male with a white belly, white around his right eye, short thin red wings with odd white feathers, half burnt ears and green eyes_ LIGHT _white tom with light blue eyes_ CINDER _dark red queen with bright blue eyes and a half burnt face)_

 **Elders:**

COPPER FANG _reddish ginger tom with green eyes_

SPOTTED JAW _tortoiseshell queen with green eyes_

PALE MOON _light grey queen with light blue eyes_


	2. Chapter 1: Tearing Feathers

It was dark. Although it was always dark, it was definitely darker than usual. Worn paws pressed delicately into the uneven ground Jagged Step walked upon. Pine needles, which were scattered about, edged on skewering her paws. There was something about the pine needles; a calming scent masking a dangerous intent. She was annoyed at herself for being on edge. This dark brooding forest had always been a comforting place, the harsh undergrowth a protective shelter. As she wandered along a blur of a routine, Jagged Step felt her fur prickled along her spine. Each little noise made her pause and listen for another and every movement made her freeze.

There was nothing wrong in taking an evening stroll, in fact freedom defined Rail Clan. There was a unyielding trust among her clan mates. The leader trusted the cats not to betray him while the cats trusted to never be striped of their freedom. However she had heard the words her father spoke in hushed whispers to Rusted Sun. The worries of some cats betraying the clan and the risks of limiting our freedom. Dusted Rail had not decided on any new regulations but Jagged Step saw his amber glare tracing the movements of cats who returned under the blanket of dusk. She had also been scrutinized under that oppressive glare, but sacrificing her one comfort was out of the question.

Slipping down into a hunter's crouch her mind continued to wander. The motions had become a ritual that her body flowed through. _Scent_. She remembered the hostile glances her parents shared. Two dark amber eyes meet a single blue one, and then three eyes would stare at Jagged Step in a wordless consensus. _Track_. She had never seen her mother without that scar etched upon her left eye. Rumors flew, but Snow Leg assured them all she had fallen while hunting at night. The healer, Small, confirmed it which put an end to the speculation.

 _Find_. Snow Leg was now back in the nursery expecting her second litter of kits. It had peaked Jagged Step's interest of course, but her father seemed much more pleased than her. Dusted Rail had a habit of mentioning his kits to whomever he was around. Causal brags, of the strong warriors they would become, only stung slightly. Jagged Step found her intrigue in her potential younger siblings outweighed her jealousy. _Crouch_. She had spent countless hours with the leader practicing hunting and fighting, and when she perfected a stunt her father's eyes glimmered with pride. Opting to disregard the dark tint she saw each time Dusted Rail looked at her, Jagged Step was confident he was satisfied with her. _Jump_. She found that comparing her own treatment to that of the other apprentices was useless. She had a reputation to uphold and they didn't.

 _Kill_. The position she was born in came with a price, a price she was more than willing to pay.

Taking a moment to examine her prey, the white and black queen was happy to see a red robin lay dead at her paws. The feathers were a mess to deal with, but any cat, other than her, would enjoy the meal. Digging a shallow hole, Jagged Step pushed the bird in and covered it with dirt. It didn't take a moment longer for her to fall onto the scent of a mouse. She tracked it into the depth of the night and then crouched once it was in sight. Creeping forward Jagged Step held her ruined wings tight and jumped out at the creature. Her paws fell directly on the mouse's neck, breaking it with a solid crack.

She went to settle down and feast upon the catch but a chime caught her ears. Cat scent accompanied by excited voices sent Jagged Step to retrieve her catch. With a bird and mouse held under a tight grip, she ventured through a familiar path of worn pine needles and flattened grass. The path came to an abrupt end, but the white queen ducked under a dense thicket to her left. She stepped out into a empty hill swarmed by a sharp but pleasant scent. Tall grass shrouded her view, but she dived through it and came upon a single tree rested upon the hill.

The tree was an aging willow which shrouded the figures below in a murky sea of grey. Around the giant, the grass was thin and short but still soft as Jagged Step padded through. Under the shadow of the tree she could make out four distinct figures. Going past three of them, Jagged climbed onto a thick branch and settled next to a calico furred queen. She tossed the cat the red bird while she dived into the mouse.

"Thanks," Rock Step muttered before messing around with the feathers on the bird. She ripped them out one by one and let them flutter down into a growing pile.

Jagged Step responded with no more than a grunt before continuing her meal.

The two found the other cats under the tree to be decently amusing. A red queen who laid on her back had stolen one of the feathers and was hitting it up each time it fluttered down. She had short partially grown wings that laid beside her. The cat was called Rusty Step and her brother, Little Step, was another figure under the tree. Little, unlike his sister, had pure black fur and an admirable lack of wings. He was conversing with the last apprentice, Twisted Step. Twisted was the younger sister of Rock Step, although she had no blood relation to the calico queen. The grey and white cat was found one day and taken in by Rail Clan, no one knew much else.

The black tom was eagerly boasting about some tale, his excited words were the only thing that echoed in the night. Jagged Step hadn't listened to much of what he was saying but now with her meal finished she tuned into some of his words.

"It's true I swear, come on I'll show you how it happened!" Little Step proclaimed before stalking towards the tree with Twisted Step following close behind. He was beginning to draw a crowd as Rusty Step joined the pair. Jagged rose and jumped down from her branch. Her front paws knocked down a small collection of mouse remains as she went. Once she and the bones had touched the ground with a quick twist of a paw the apprentice brushed a thin layer of dirt over her scraps. Not long afterwards did Rock Step do the same and stroll up to the group. She settled beside Twisted Step, opposite to Little Step, while Jagged Step went to the other side of the black tom.

"There the bird was, a large hawk with thorny brown feathers. It's wings were massive and it flaunted them like a Dove Clan cat as it sat perched in a tree," Little began once every cat stared at him with attentive eyes, "I knew how many cats the creature would feed so as the bird cleaned it's wing I stalked up a nearby three. My black fur sank into the darkness of the night; the bird suspected nothing." He fell into a crouch and moved forward to illustrate his tale. "I moved in so close that I could taste the bitter tang of its blood. It was then I decided to leap."

Little Step sprang forward, his teeth out stretched and his claws unsheathed. His crowd followed after, watching as he hit the ground and curved back around to them. "The bird got lucky and rose in the air at that very moment, its wings shoving the air down and out of the way. I wouldn't make it in time so I acted fast and swung my claws higher up. I pierced thin flesh as a horrified screech filled the air. My momentum pushed me forward and made my claws tear the skin in the hawk's wing, but I couldn't stop and landed onto the branch. With a hollow cry the hawk tore its wing away and fled in a storm of feathers and red."

He puffed his chest out triumphantly as he gathered the expressions of his peers. Twisted Step looked pleased, her eyes sparking with admiration for the black tom. Rusty Step also seemed surprisingly interested; not many things managed to snag her attention. Jagged Step herself was about to say something but the other unpleased cat spoke first.

"So what you let it get away?" Rock Step asked, her voice spiking with annoyance.

"Well yes, but-" Little Step replied, shrinking himself to appear smaller than usual. Twisted nudged the small cat reassuringly while Jagged Step braced herself for what was undoubtedly coming.

"But what? Not only did you let prey get away but that blood trail the thing left behind could attract a fox! What then Little?"

The tom in question gave a nervous glance to the queen pressed up against his side before sauntering forward.

"At least I scratched the hawk. You could never even do that, could you, Rock. Just leave the hunting to the cats who know what they are doing," Little Step growled. He had brushed away any past meekness and now stood with his chest puffed up facing Rock Step at eye level.

Much to Jagged Step's relief and horror, Rusty Step decided to step between the two. She manoeuvred through the narrow space with acute precision, her tail mindlessly hitting her brother across the face as she went. Upon reaching the other side she turned back with a sly grin now plastered across her face.

"How about we solve this little argument hm?" Rusty said. Her voice wasn't something new to the cluster of cats, but it still felt mysterious as the words touched them with a silky softness. She picked up the attention of the others effortlessly and continued with her current scheme. "Let us have a competition, whomever can find the hawk and bring it back gets to go hunting free for seven sunrises. The four losers have to hunt for the winner with no complaints."

Jagged Step couldn't tell how Rusty always managed to get every cat imaginable excited, but she did. As soon as the red cat had muddle off a few more instructions and said go, the five were sprinting down the hill and into the dense Rail Clan forest in search of their prey.


	3. A destiny given

There were three of them, kits born to the leader of the legendary Tribe of the Hunting Hawk. The leader rushed to his mate's side as soon as he was allowed and looked happily at the three bundles of fur peacefully succling from their mother. One was a large bright furred white cat with wings almost the size of her body. The second was a tiny red bundle with short little wings. The final kit was a small brown tabby. He was between the sizes of his two siblings, but his wings were the smallest of them all.

As the Tribe's leader looked at each of his kits he was granted with a vision so in turn he gave them names. The white kit was named Diving from the scene of a large white cat sweeping across the sky with an unrivaled grace. Then he saw the red cat maneuvering past pine trees with impossible speed and dubbed her Singing. Lastly he saw a bulky tabby running through a thick undergrowth with a pair of small unusable wings. It was then that he decided to name the tom, Running, for the kit was never going to fly.


	4. Chapter 2: Blinding Winds

Ash Lift drew her wings up and breathed in, then down and breathed out. The motion still wasn't natural to her, but the grey cat had managed to keep the pattern for longer than usual. She was soaring alone above the wide fields of Dove Clan territory with ears perked and listing for any bit of sound. She was growing impatient with the last few attempts at hunting and hearing rumors about her brother's warrior ceremony being soon made her want to at least try to catch something. Ash was fully aware that making her first catch six moons into her apprenticeship was hardly enough to get her warrior name, but she could show some progress at the very least. Picking up on the noise of a bird, Ash Lift held her breath and studied the sound. It was soft mumble that she had learned to associate with pigeons. Pigeons were one of the few birds she could identify and name, since picking up on the noises birds did not mean she could relate the noise to name without outside help. The blind apprentice had fond memories of her brother, Grey Lift, giving a name to all the sounds she heard around camp, but that was back when they were kits. Now his mentor took up most of his time since their mother had insisted he was to become the best. Sky Wind had high expectations of her kits, the term kits discluding Ash, and Feather Seeker was already on her way to become a Healer so it fell onto Grey Lift to become a great leader some day. Little expectation or not, Ash was going to catch that bird.

She moved to fly above and behind the sound. Finding the right spot took time with Ash being blind and all, but once she had it her confidence grew. Her grey wings settled into a continuous beat which consisted of a few quick flaps followed by short glide. Matching the noise she made with that of the pigeon's wings was a struggle. At first she fell into the glide too quickly and was slow on the uptake, but she worked it down to being off by a few seconds. _Beat, beat, Beat, beat, Silence, silence._ With each sequence Ash started earlier and the delay between the noises grew shorter and shorter until it disappeared entirely.

With the dance started, Ash Lift drew her wide wings in large sweeps. The grey limbs pushed back greater bundles of air than what the bird's smaller wings were capable of. In only a few motions the bird's drumming came from directly below the cat. She had no more time to falter having spent enough of it matching their tunes. Ash allowed herself a breath before closing her wings and falling forward. This was by all measures her least favorite part of hunting, but it had to be done. She held her mouth shut to refuse even the smallest of breaths in fear of one growing to a scream. The fall was fast, and Ash hardly had enough time to extend her left front leg and unsheath her claws. Her first swipe missed and alerted the pigeon to her presence, but her other paw was already being brought down to successfully find a holster in the bird's wing.

With the small thing squeaking in terror and thrashing about in the her grasp, Ash Lift refocused on not hitting the ground because she was definitely still falling. She slid her wings out to grab air and curved her body to use her momentum to shoot back up into the sky. Once she was no longer rocketing towards the ground, Ash steadied herself with a few frantic wing flaps and then settled into a calm pattern of pull up and push down. As soon as her heart had stopped racing the beating picked up again since she could no longer feel warm blood and feathers in her grasp. The apprentice had no clue what else to do except dart to the ground and search. If she was lucky enough her first catch hadn't just flown away.

Ash pulled low to the ground as she searched. Her nose was positioned closed to the ground as she smelled for any bit of blood or bird she could find. Meanwhile she held a crouch and took a bit of time to paw around the ground before each step. It seemed like ages, but it was not long before the grey cat had stumbled upon a thick scent. Ash stepped closer and a liquid started to seep into her fur and the occasional feather appeared underfoot. A series of steps later lead her to what felt like a small bird except for its bent neck and torn wing. She nuzzled around the bird before finding a good hold on its back and lifting it up. The feeling of still warm blood ended up being a great reminder of the mess she had most likely left behind as Ash Lift took off and flew back to camp.

What had seemed to be a short trip outwards seemed to triple as she flew back. There was no doubt that hunting had caused her to wander further away, but the supposed length was mostly because of the lack of sound. She had the steady sound of her wings and the occasional chime of wind, but apart from that nothing else could be heard. Any other prey that was lurking would have been scared away because of the pigeon's scream, but even the training vally was empty. Feeling unease Ash Lift picked up her speed and got back to camp quickly.

While she had feared an attack, what greeted the grey apprentice when she flew into camp was equally as terrifying. She could hear hushed whispers all gathered in one place and a booming voice atop them all. Using the pungent odor of dead birds, Ash made her way over to the fresh kill pile to discard her catch and then she crept towards the edge of the crowd. Most of the cats were talking or making some sort of noise so it was rather easy for her to make it without hitting any bodies. Thankfully no cat spoke of her arrival so Ash Lift could sit down and listen without any disturbance.

"...Feather Seeker do you promise to uphold the ways of a healer, to stand apart from clan rivalry between Clan and Clan and to protect all cats equally, even at the cost of your life?" a soft male voice finished.

Without a thought Ash recognized the sound as White, the healer of Dove Clan. However she was left puzzled as to why he was talking. Ash Lift's sister, Feather Seeker, had only been a healer's apprentice for six moons. Yet it seemed to her that she had stumbled upon a healer's ceremony. That would certainly explain the hushed whispers she was hearing.

"She's too young!", "Less than six moons? Most warrior apprentices take double the time", "Black Dove is allowing this?!"; were only a few examples of the chattering.

It was clear that her clanmates were talking louder than they thought because Feather's voice came out in a nervous stutter, "I-i do."

"Then under the guidance of Star Clan you shall journey to each clan and return in three nights time. Whence you return you will be given your true name as a healer," White ended strongly. His voice was unaffected by the mutterings but was also void of any emotion.

With the last statement the cats spread out. Ash held her ground as cats pushed by with incomprehensible mumbles and woes. She stood there until a soothing voice spoke next to her ear, "How was your hunt?"

Ash huffed in annoyance. "Grey how many times have I told you not to speak so close to my ear?" She stepped away from him only to trip and fall into the back of a soft figure.

"Hah sorry, but you should probably get off of Feather there," Grey purred back.

"I agree, you should get off of Feather," A new muffled voice added. Ash could tell it came from under her and laughed in response.

"I don't think I want too," She rolled over and continued squishing her sister.

"Quit it," Feather groaned trying to push Ash off.

The snickering died instantly as a set of footsteps approached. A rough grip pulled Ash up and deposited her on the ground beside Feather.

"What are the two of you doing?" said a feminine voice. The newcomer continued on to rant with the occasional break. "This is a big day for your sister," _breath, "_ She is going to head to each of the clans," _breath,_ "And needs to look her best," _breath,_ "And here you are messing up her fur!"

Ash sunk backwards away from the voice of her mother and brushed past the pelt of Grey. Her brother's footsteps implied that he had walked out to stand between the her and the pairing of Feather and Sky Wind.

"I'm terribly sorry mother but we were simply congratulating our sister," Grey replied calmly.

Ash picked up on a low grumbling which was cut by her mother speaking again, "Well Feather really should get going, after her pelt is groomed that is."

A deafening silence came and was followed by the hushed voices of Feather, Sky Wind and a series of footsteps. Both sounds started to fade as a Ash felt her brother move closer.


	5. Destiny fulfilled

It was a fierce battle that lead to the fall of the tribe. A pack of merciless rogues tore away territory and killed many. The Tribe Of the Flying Hawk was drowning in the blood that had been spilt, but they managed to drive the rogues away. However the flighting did not end there.

The leader's daughters wanted to change the way the tribe was and find a way to avoid future bloodshed. Each had their own opinions on how the tribe should be ruled; Diving Dove dreamed of a strong and confident tribe which could defend against any invaders while Singing Sparrow wanted to be part of a smart and peaceful tribe by using words to avoid conflict completely. Unable to agree the two rallied their sides, engaged in battle and added new blood to the pile. Many cats died, but many more were wounded. Non-fatal injuries ripped countless cats of their abilities and some were to never fly again.

At the end of it all, the two sisters came to a truce. They would divide the territory of the tribe and go their separate ways. The eldest formed The Clan of the Diving Dove, a group of kind but courageous warriors, and the other sister formed The Clan of the Singing Sparrow, a group of cunning but peaceful cats. However, unlike his siblings, Running Rail saw how the fighting affected the cats and decided to gather the cats forever wounded by the war. With them he created The Clan of the Running Rail, home to all cats, regardless of their scares, who were willing to pledge their loyalty. From then on, there were three clans running the forest instead of the one tribe.


	6. Chapter 3: Falling Ashes

Fox watched with a keen interest as a light grey cat stepped forward to stand below a large tree. The tom's eyes were bursting with joy and his tail flicked eagerly. His eyes took a moment to glaze over the crowd of cats before resting on the orange pelt of Honey Sparrow who sat perched upon a low branch.

 _I call upon our warrior ancestors to recognize this apprentice. He has trained to understand the warrior code and has proven himself under Dusk Hawk's guidance._ The large orange cat's lips moved with confidence akin to those of his stature. Fox picked up on a few words, while his mind filled in the rest, _Rain Call do you promise to be a loyal warrior of Sparrow Clan?_

It seemed probable that Honey Sparrow would speak words with such conviction. The leader held a soft kindness in his eyes when he looked over the clan; a glimmer that disappeared when he spoke of serious matters. For what Fox could remember, Honey Sparrow's voice was rough which was quite the contrast to his name.

 _I do,_ Rain Call mouthed quickly as his grey tail flicked in excitement. The sounds he made were foreign to Fox as the red kit hadn't conversed with him much. Fox supposed it was a high pitched squeal similar to his own littermates.

Fox had taken a moment to glaze through the crowd to find Light situated next to their father. The white tom watched the ceremony with a impatient gleam in his blue eyes. Beside Light was Fire Twist, who's fur shone like a blaze in the morning light. The image brought unwanted memories up for Fox so he quickly diverted his attention back to the ceremony going on. He missed a few lines but it didn't take him long to catch up on the dialogue Honey Sparrow and Rain Call were having.

 _From this moment onwards you shall be known as Rain-_ Fox paused his internal narration; his mind reaching for the word.

 _Star Clan honours your fighting skills and your determination._

The Clan Echoed chants of a strange word which Fox found himself puzzled at.

He rolled through a few possibilities yet it seemed as though Rain had kept his apprentice name. _Rain Call, Rain Call,_ the cats seemed to chant. He desired a longer moment to dwell on the name, but it wasn't long before Flecked Call was called forward and was given his name. This time Fox recognized the suffix.

 _Flecked Feather, Flecked Feather,_ the word felt smooth as it rolled from Fox's tongue. It had that familiar flare that Sparrow Clan was known for.

After what Fox thought was an enthusiastic chant, the motion, which indicated his own name, was made by Honey Sparrow. Strolling Forward, Fox stopped below the branch his leader stood on

 _Fox, you have reached the age of six moons, and it is time for you to begin training. From this day until you learn the way of Sparrow Clan you will be known as Fox Call._ The orange cat had a perfect memory of the words despite only hearing them a pawful of times. After all he had recited them countless times while imagining this day.

 _Your mentor will be Seed Wish. I hope she passes her knowledge onto you._ As his leader continued, Fox Call got swept away in the movements and words that streamed from Honey Sparrow. He was lost in swirling daze until he noticed the cats chanting his name with an added bonus on the end.

 _Fox Call, Fox Call, Fox Call_ the chorus chanted. Fox Call felt a swirl of happiness as he gazed at his clanmates. Fire Twisted's mouth was curved into a wider smile. Unsurprisingly, Fox Call came to realize that he had already been ushered back into the crowd and his orange furred father was now eyeing the silky pelt of Light.

If he was lying, Fox would say that he paid attention to the apprenticeship of his brother. While he did take notice of the tabby queen Tiger Flight stepping forward and tapping Light Call's nose, he found himself more interested by the fresh scent of morning dew that drifted about. It seemed that it rained last night, no wonder Cinder had spent the night with her red pelt hidden between Fox and their mother. All too soon did that magical red fur take the place of Light. Cinder stood meekly below Honey Sparrow but her eyes shined with pride.

 _Cinder you have reached the age of six moons, and it is time for you to begin training. From this day until you learn the way of Sparrow Clan you will be known as Cinder Call._

Fox Call refused to remove his gaze from the leader, absorbing every word he could. There was a slight hesitation in the leader's movements but he couldn't tell if the other cats had noticed it. Perhaps it was his imagination.

 _Your mentor will be Patch Coat. I hope she passes her knowledge onto you._ Honey Sparrow continued on, likely praising Patch Coat's talents as a warrior and what she could hope to pass onto Cinder. As interesting as the speech was, Fox Call found his attention directed to the sorrowful but proud eyes of his mother who he was sitting next too. Hail Shine's blue eyes glistened with tears as she pressed closer to her sister, Fennel Dream. The orange apprentice craved to lean towards her soft white fur, but reluctantly pull himself away from the temptation. He didn't take offense to her actions, Hail Shine was a loving mother, she just couldn't handle brushing pelts with him. Shaking the thought aside, Fox Call looked back at Cinder Call in time to see her touch noses with the black and white queen and have a chance to join into the chant.

 _Cinder Call! Cinder Call!_ He voiced his cheers in a terribly loud tone. He received a mixture of amused and annoyed glances, but no one said anything. At the very least he hadn't caught any cats saying anything.

With white wings outstretched Seed Wish's front legs reached out to grasp the rough brown branch of a sturdy pine tree. Moving fluidly she pressed off of the branch and lept onto the next tree, her wings drew into rest against black fur. She eyed a small orange cat who followed behind. The small apprentice curved his wings to head for the branch at coincident path. His ears pressed backwards and Fox Call maneuvered his wings to reduce speed. Placing his front paws forward, the apprentice prepared to land. Despite a wonderful approach, his feet were unable to grip the branch before he had to quickly dive to the side to avoid hitting the tree's trunk.

Fox Call happened to eye Seed Wish's reaction and smiled to himself in glee. She was saying something with a look of udder shock. It seemed Seed Wish wasn't expecting to be given such a gifted apprentice. The black and white queen flapped her wings rapidly and her feet edged on the branch. It was then that Fox Call remembered that flying required flapping his wings and perhaps it wasn't safe to fall as fast as he was currently. His wings shot out before he had reached the ground and with a dip he used his speed to push back into the air. With a few flaps he drew back to the branch which held an angry looking Seed glaring at him.

She was saying something but Fox Call preferred to focus on landing instead of her words. He flew softly over to the branch once more and placed his bottom feet down first followed by his front paws. He did attempt to interpret what she was yelling upon being safely perched onto the branch but Seed Wish's wished mouth was flying too fast to catch anything. Fox Call sat quietly until his mentor had realized the fruitlessness of her efforts and opted to end her rant with a sigh. The two sat blinking for a bit before she opened her mouth and spoke a bit slower.

 _Fox Call don't, don't do -_

Another silence passed between them before the apprentice decided to speak himself.

 _Sorry,_ Fox Call spoke in what he imagined was a genuine voice. He was unsure if mimicking the way he apologized as a kit would suffice but Seed Wish seemed to soften and smile gently. It took her a moment of thinking but she decided to get back on track.

 _I want to teach you hunting,_ She said slowly while watching to see how her apprentice would respond.

She was met with a troubling silence as Fox Call ran over the words she had said before noticing a gleeful nod from the tom. Seed was about to open her mouth again, but closed it quickly and froze in thought. Whatever his mentor had been pondering was of no use to Fox Call so instead he decided to take to the sky. Leaving the black cat who stood motionless on the branch he swooped under, he drew back up and past a few more trees. He stopped for a moment to rest upon a tree, but was greeted by a shimmering black coat of feathers. Fox was in awe at the sight of the small raven. It had a bushel of fur on it's chest which Fox had decided was why he thought the bird looked mean. Yet the way it's feather's shinned blue made the cat wish he was born with a black pelt. Either that or being born as a raven which didn't sound half bad. His trance was shaken by a panicked Seed Wish rushing to his side. She was rambling some sort of words, but Fox was much more interested in watching the bird take flight with ease and quickly dart away. Once the blue beauty was far from his sight he turned back to his mentor and waited for her to calm down.

 _As I was saying…,_ Seed Wish started again once she was breathing normally. But by then Fox Call had found himself a white butterfly to chase after. He had taken to the skies, leaving Seed Wish and her ramblings behind.


End file.
